Review: 'The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie' very daffy indeed

Warner Bros. Animation/Ketchup Entertainment, 2025.

While the beloved Looney Tunes characters are familiar and respectful, these aren't exactly your parents' Looney Tunes.

"The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie" is shockingly the first all-animated Looney Tunes movie ever released in movie theaters. It's also not being distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures...that duty is being handled by the much smaller Ketchup Entertainment, which is why this film might feel a bit "under the radar" for most.

And while this weird, zany sci-fi story is quite harmless, it also feels a bit uninspired. It's been nearly 100 years since the release of the very first Looney Tunes animated short...and this is what we've all waited for?

Grade: C

"The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie" takes inspiration from the B-movie sci-fi genre (think "Invasion of the Saucer Men" or other alien invasion romps). An alien simply known as "The Invader" crashes into Earth near a bubble gum factory, and comes up with a diabolical plan to take over Earth by infusing the bubble gum with a substance that turns people into mindless zombies.

Daffy Duck and Porky Pig - given a strange origin story - are shown as having been raised as brothers by a burly farmhand, Farmer Jim. When Farmer Jim goes off to that big farmland in the sky, Daffy and Porky are forced to do odd jobs (none of which they are very good at) in order to keep their family farm. They end up employees at the bubble gum factory, where they meet Petunia Pig, and the three end up being humanities last hope...gulp.

Longtime Looney Tunes fans (like myself) that grew up with these characters will first notice that the animation style of this movie doesn't feel familiar at all. That's because the Looney Tunes were re-imagined with new cartoons in 2020 on what was then HBO Max, created by Peter Browngardt, who also directs this film. This movie continues the animation style of this recent series and not the "classic" Looney Tunes look. What does feel familiar are the characters themselves...the stuttering, good-intentioned pig and the zany, bouncing, energetic duck. Despite the visual and stylistic differences, it's hard to argue that these characters aren't given proper respect or care.

Admittedly not having seen this "new school" Looney Tunes series, what's missing is the wit that defined the original shorts. This movie goes for it, with a sort of eccentricity that was undoubtedly inspired by out-of-the-box characters and animation from shows like "Ren & Stimpy." Much of it may produce chuckles, but it would be a real stretch to call any of it "clever." It's slapstick and low-brow, and there's nothing wrong with that. Perhaps this is the Looney Tunes that this new generation needs...but it just feels like spiritually, these characters are soulless zombies - much like the creatures they are fighting against in the film - who look similar from the outside but who just seem to be missing something when it comes to intelligence.

It's important to note too, that this film was one of the movies caught up in the corporate drama behind-the-scenes, when in 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery decided to shelve movies in production to take tax write-offs. "Coyote vs Acme" was a high-profile cut as were films like "Batgirl" and "Scoob! Holiday Haunt." Warner Bros. decided not to pull the plug on "The Day The Earth Blew Up" for whatever reason, however letting Ketchup Entertainment distribute the film did allow them to limit their risks. I'm not exactly sure what ultimately led to these decisions.

"The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie" just feels like it should have been better, given the history and the multi-generational love that is felt for these characters. But let's hope that this isn't the last theatrical Looney Tunes film. Instead of just tapping into these beloved characters, Browngardt and team (there are eleven - eleven!!! - credited writers on the film) would be smart to instead try to channel some of the sharp, quick-wit that established Looney Tunes as one of the main influential sources of animated entertainment on the planet.

Grade: C
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Genre: Animation, Family, Comedy, Science Fiction.
Run Time: 1 hour 31 minutes.
Rated PG.

Starring (Voices of): Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Peter MacNicol.

Directed by Peter Browngardt (feature-film directorial debut).

"The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie" is in theaters on Friday, March 14th, 2025.